Re: how to build up a stock ?

We are still practicing to nurse under cover and also got to postpone the trip a little longer so we will have more practice (YAY !!)

I am still pumping twice a day (soon after i nurse her for 10-15 mins and get about a total of 5-6 oz, and she takes 3-4 oz by bottle for one feeding), mainly because it lets me have a stretch of 4 h sleep in a day (i am totally unable to sleep at other times). Starting in a month and half i will be gone for 4- 5h two days a week and will need to pump for those periods.

Since last two days, my supply is slowly getting ahead of her. I have accumulated about 5 oz over last two days and will probably accumulate some more very soon. I dont want to use the expressed milk when i am able to nurse her, so was thinking of freezing the excess.

So i had a few questions regarding freezing BM

1) Which are better -- bags or bottles (I read reviews about bags leaking, so am hesitant to use them, dont know how far they are true)
2) do i have to sterilize the container before i freeze milk in them ??
3) I have a medela PISA pump, It came with four 5 oz bottles, Can i use a different brand of bottles to freeze milk (Found that there are cheaper bottles available), If so any suggestions as to which bottles are good?
4) Can i reuse the container till i fill it up to its maximum capacity (it takes approx 2 sessions of pumping to get 5 oz of milk)

Thanks again for all your support and sorry to be bothering you all with queries all the time.

Re: how to build up a stock ?

queries all the time is what we're here for!

1) partly your preference. we prefer to freeze all food in bottles (DH is a little crazy on the plastic-is-bad-for-you, especially for freezing and heating). but freezing 4 oz in a glass bottle takes up a LOT of room, and we found it didn't keep longer than about 6 weeks - the air at the top of the bottle allowed freezerburn. bags are more efficient and easier. i liked the lansinoh bags, i've also heard great things about the honeysuckle bags. i think it's worth the extra cost to get a good bag. you wouldn't believe how big a difference it makes.
2) no
3) yes
4) yes, but once you thaw freezer milk it should be used within 24 hours. i froze in 4 oz bags; some people freeze in 2 oz bags just so they only have to thaw what they need. you can experiment with what works for you.

Re: how to build up a stock ?

with all of the above.

I like the Lansinoh bags too. I've only ever had leaking problems when I have dropped one. To save space you can lay the bags flat to freeze.

You might want to check for lipase before you start freezing lots of milk. Keep a small bottle of expressed milk in the refrigerator for several days, smelling and tasting periodically to make sure it doesn't start tasting off. If it does start smelling funny (soap, metallic, vomit-like), then you will need to scald your milk before you freeze it.

Re: how to build up a stock ?

I freeze in bags because they take up way less room. I had about 9000 oz saved -- donated quite a lot of it to a local mom with IGT -- but I could never have done that with bottles. I prefer the Honeysuckle bags myself.

Re: how to build up a stock ?

I never pumped in public with my first. Even when he nursed for an hr at a time, I would sit in a bathroom if necessary.
With my second, I had no choice- My two- year old could not stay in the bathroom with me while I nursed his brother!
I agree with the others that planning to nurse on the trip will make your life easier.

Best tips for nursing discreetly:
- get a good nursing cover. There are covers that have a wire loop at the top so you can see the baby and breast without using your hands.
- What you wear makes a difference. If you wear a shirt with buttons over another shirt, you can open the top buttons and pull up the underneath shirt. This way your sides are still totally covered and the only exposed part is your actual breast, which is easy to cover with the nursing cover.
Good luck!